E-Team Squadra Corse

We are E-Team Squadra Corse,

the racing team from the University of Pisa. Our team competes in the Formula Student competition (FSAE), an international engineering challenge in which university teams from all over the world design, manufacture, and test a Formula One–inspired race car. Currently, around 480 teams compete worldwide in the Electric Vehicles Class alone, racing on prestigious tracks such as Hockenheimring and Hungaroring.

E-Team Squadra Corse is currently ranked as the fourth Italian team, and for this season we are clearly aiming for a podium finish.The team was born in 2009 with a combustion model and became totally electric in 2020. E-Team Squadra Corse is composed of 120 students divided into 10 division, spanning from Chassis and Aerodynamics to Electronics, Firmware and Powertrain.

Electronics and Firmware

The Electronics and Firmware division in in charge of everything that regards PCBs, from the design of the schematic and layout, to the soldering and testing. Electronics are fundamental to every aspect of the team. They enable the acquisition of critical sensor data and facilitate seamless communication, not only to the driver and remote telemetry via the CAN bus but also between the various PCBs governing internal vehicle components. Furthermore, electronics are vital for the control and safety of the entire electric tractive system.

Tractive system BMS

The TSAC remains the most complex electronic undertaking of the previous season, featuring a fully custom-engineered distributed Battery Management System (BMS). The architecture utilizes a Master-Slave control methodology to manage six accumulator modules, each configured in a 24s arrangement. While the initial prototype achieved functional viability, a comprehensive post-season analysis identified several critical areas for optimization.

For the current season, the electronics sector has transitioned from a single-board layout to a dual-PCB architecture.

By migrating high-current and heat-generating components to a dedicated secondary power daughterboard, mounted directly above the logic board, we have achieved improved thermal dissipation, current capacity and structural rigidity.

To eliminate the variables associated with manual assembly, the team would like to shift to Professional PCBA from PCBWay for the slave modules. We would like to commission a production run of 15 units; providing a 250% redundancy factor compared to the car's requirements. This surplus ensures that the team has immediate "hot-swap" capabilities during testing and competition, significantly reducing potential downtime.

Aerodynamics

The 2026 FSG regulations have introduced a 100mm reduction in the maximum allowable height of the rear wing. This change fundamentally shifts the pressure distribution, necessitating a complete redesign of the entire aerodynamic package, rather than a simple upgrade. To recover the lost downforce, the aerodynamics team has focused on optimizing the interaction between the front wing and the underbody.

A primary objective for this season is to narrow the reality gap, that is the discrepancy between Computational Fluid Dynamics simulations and on-track performance. To combat this, we are transitioning to a full carbon fiver package, removing entirely plastic components, improving surface finish and structural rigidity.

Metal 3D-Printed hooks

To address the stiffness requirements of the flaps (keeping the slot gap constant and avoiding flutter), we would like to introduce Metal 3D-Printed "Rainbow" Hooks, together with the additive manufacturing capabilities of PCBWay. Their ability of printing with aluminum and titanium allows us to keep the parts thin and lightweight, while providing exceptional stiffness.